Makeshift Wolf Brigade ①・Why?
The timeline returns to when Woff became a Seeker and received the nominated quest.
The northernmost part of the continent. The Great Prosphora Mountain.
Midway up its slope stood a massive structure resembling a cracked egg.
Inside the structure were enormous triangular prisms of white, blue, and red.
Floating in the center of the triangular prisms was a huge, black metal ring, and within it, a white dome.
That white dome. That was the Seeker Guild Headquarters, the Grand Guild.
Inside the dome was the Grand Guild Master’s Office.
Alhazardo Abramelin had just finished communicating with the Hydrangea Guild.
Standing beside him, a brown-skinned woman in an elegant black coat accented with white lines inquired.
“Grand Guild Master. May I have a word?”
“What is it?”
“Regarding your attitude towards the Witch’s disciple just now. What was the meaning of that?”
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“Yes. Promoting him and then issuing that nominated quest seems unlike you.”
“Originally, the special exception was for Tier III. Promoting him to Tier V isn’t unreasonable.”
“Even so, isn’t that nominated quest going too far?”
Alhazardo Abramelin narrowed his eyes.
“Do you truly believe that a 13-year-old disciple of the Witch can accomplish a quest that I myself gave up on, even in my youth?”
“That is— Do you believe he cannot do it, Grand Guild Master?”
“Correct.”
“Then why did you do such a thing?”
“Seekers do not merely explore Dungeons. They explore life itself. No matter how impossible it may seem, this nominated quest can serve as a guiding principle in his exploration of life.”
“You gave him some color?”
“I merely showed a single path to a young and capable Seeker.”
“Grand Guild Master… that could be perceived as rather malicious.”
Hearing this, Alhazardo Abramelin chuckled.
“That might be true as well.”
“Also, you mentioned it was impossible, but why is it impossible?”
“…’Impossible’ isn’t quite accurate. There should be a possibility. However, describing it as such is correct. Because—the necessary parts are missing.”
“Parts?”
“And nobody knows where they are,” Alhazardo Abramelin said quietly.
The day of the challenge for Alhazardo Abramelin’s nominated quest arrived.
First, we went to the Seeker Guild to formally accept the quest.
Alance-san wasn’t there. The one who handled it was that Fairial Receptionist.
From there, the Makeshift Wolf Brigade headed towards the Junkyard in the town’s Dungeon.
We immediately moved to a secluded spot deep within the Junkyard.
Ax-san and Liv-san looked around with interest, remarking on the incredible amount of trash.
“Alright, if you would please, Mineha-san.”
I handed Mineha-san the card-like Holy Seal.
Mineha-san went into the central trash heap and fitted the Holy Seal into a perfect circle at its core.
A faint tremor ran through the ground, and the stone floor split open in two.
Stairs leading down appeared. We nodded to each other and descended the stairs.
As we went down, the stone floor slowly closed above us.
Liv-san produced a sphere of light. In the darkness, faded blue-green floors and walls became visible.
Like a faint emerald color. Ax-san muttered.
“What is this place?”
“Apparently, it’s the Sacred Chamber.”
“A sacred room, huh? It’s pretty run-down for that.”
“This is still just the passage,” Mineha-san added.
“Mm…”
Illuminated by the light sphere, we advanced cautiously, remaining vigilant.
Liv-san was in the lead. Ax-san brought up the rear. I was in the middle, with Mineha-san on my shoulder.
Mineha-san suddenly spoke.
“Where exactly is this place, floor-wise?”
“It’s definitely not between the first and second floors,” Ax-san said.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Mm… probably… location-wise… an inaccessible… place… It might even… lightly punch through… the third floor… or the fourth…” Liv-san murmured.
“A hidden area, then?” Ax-san guessed.
“Honestly, what an outrageous place,” Mineha-san commented.
“Mm… there’s something,” Liv-san said.
It was a black door. Ax-san knocked on it lightly with the back of his hand.
“It’s metal.”
“Will it open?”
“Let’s try pushing. Grrrgghhh!”
Ax-san placed his hands on it and pushed. Slowly, it began to open.
“I’ll help,” I said.
“Mm… Liv too.”
Pushing together, the three of us opened it further. Beyond was a small, bronze-colored space.
There was a black pillar in the center and a white altar at the far end.
“Looks like this is the Sacred Chamber,” Ax-san observed.
“…There’s something written over there,” Mineha-san pointed out.
A stone monument rested upon the white altar. An inscription was carved into it. Ancient language.
“Umm, it says, ‘Offer the Sacred Egg upon the altar of the Sacred Chamber’,” I read.
I looked at the altar.
On top of it was a small pedestal shaped perfectly for placing an Egg.
Is this where it goes?
“Sacred Egg?” Ax-san questioned.
“Hey, could this be related to the ‘Three Eggs of Hayyarn’?” Mineha-san wondered.
“Mm… Three Eggs… what’s that?” Liv-san asked.
“It’s a nursery rhyme,” Ax-san explained. “Come to think of it, this quest is related to Hayyarn. How nostalgic. My old lady used to sing it all the time. If that’s the case… does ‘Sacred Egg’ mean the legendary Elixir Sacred Egg? Offer that? We don’t have anything like that!”
“…Elixir… Egg…?” Liv-san murmured.
“Yeah, the fairytale Egg that supposedly produces infinite Elixir,” Ax-san confirmed.
“Actually, there was an Egg containing Elixir,” Mineha-san said. “But it didn’t produce infinitely. There seems to be an original source, but nobody knows where it is.”
“…Mm… Dead end,” Liv-san concluded.
“Tch, is it over already? If only there was something…” Ax-san clicked his tongue.
“I’ll look around,” Mineha-san said, leaving my shoulder.
Everyone was crestfallen, an air of resignation settling in.
Yeah, that makes sense. No one would think something like that would be necessary.
I see. This really is impossible.
I understand now why even Alhazardo Abramelin couldn’t do it.
Does this mean possessing the Egg is a prerequisite?
Is there another Tower somewhere with information about the Egg?
Well, whatever the case. I took the Egg from the back of my pouch.
I placed it—the Elixir Sacred Egg—onto the altar’s pedestal.
Instantly, the black pillar began to glow, separating into upper and lower halves that started rotating.
“Wh-What the?!” Ax-san exclaimed.
“What!?” Mineha-san cried out.
“Mm… Lad… that Egg is…” Liv-san trailed off.
“Woff…?”
Mineha-san’s trembling expression and gaze pierced right through me.
“…”
“Oi. Look.”
When the pillar vanished, something was floating there.
It was long and slender, with a sphere embedded in the center, resembling a key.
Ax-san took it. As he handed it to me, he noticed the Egg.
“Wha- Is that?! N-No way…”
“…”
I took the Egg back. At that exact moment, a section of the left wall slid open, revealing a new passage.
This meant we were to proceed further.
“Hey, Woff.”
Mineha-san, who called my name, had returned to her larger form.
Ax-san and Liv-san remained silent as I looked up at the tall girl.
“Hey, Woff. What is that Egg?”
“It’s the Elixir Sacred Egg.”
“Seriously? Then, when Rell was saved… so that’s how it was,” Ax-san realized.
“Mm… Just as I thought,” Liv-san added.
For some reason, Ax-san and Liv-san seemed to understand.
But I kind of got it. It was probably because I’d given them Elixir in small vials before.
Mineha-san spoke, her voice trembling.
“Why do you have that?”
“…I found it in the Junkyard.”
“That wasn’t just recently—was it? You had it before you met me, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“And you kept it secret from me all this time.”
As she spoke, Mineha-san’s gaze fixed on me.
“H-Hey,” Ax-san started.
“…It’s fine. Let’s move on.”
Mineha-san averted her gaze from me, almost as if closing her eyes.
“…”
Mineha-san went ahead. Ax-san followed her.
I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t do anything.
Back then, the look Mineha-san gave me wasn’t anger… it was just sad.
“…Lad… let’s go,” Liv-san prompted gently.
“Yes.”
I put the Egg away, deep inside my pouch.